Legal Profession (Solicitors’ Remuneration) Order 2003

No. S 40

Legal Profession Act

(CHAPTER 161)

Legal Profession
(Solicitors’ Remuneration)
Order 2003

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 108 of the Legal Profession Act, we, the committee appointed under that section, hereby make the following Order:

Citation and commencement

1. This Order may be cited as the Legal Profession (Solicitors’ Remuneration) Order 2003 and shall come into operation on 1st February 2003.

Non-contentious business

2. The remuneration of a solicitor in respect of business other than contentious business shall be such sum as is fair and reasonable having regard to all the circumstances of the case, and in particular the following circumstances:

(a)	the importance of the matter to the client;
(b)	the skill, labour, specialised knowledge and responsibility involved on the part of the solicitor;
(c)	the complexity of the matter and the difficulty or novelty of the question raised;
(d)	where money or property is involved, the amount or value thereof;
(e)	the time expended by the solicitor;
(f)	the number and importance of the documents prepared or perused, without regard to length; and
(g)	the place where, and the circumstances under which, the services or business or any part thereof are rendered or transacted.

Additional remuneration for special exertion

3. In respect of any business which is required to be, and is, by special exertion, carried through in an exceptionally short space of time, a solicitor may charge additional remuneration for the special exertion according to the circumstances.

Solicitor may accept security for amount due to him from client

4. A solicitor may accept from his client, and a client may give to his solicitor, security for the amount to become due to the solicitor for business to be transacted by him and for interest on such amount, but so that interest is not to commence till the amount due is ascertained either by agreement or by taxation.

Interest

5.—(1) A solicitor may charge interest, at the same rate as a judgment debt, on his disbursements and costs from the expiration of one month from the solicitor’s demand for payment from the client.

(2) In cases where the disbursements and costs are payable by any infant or out of a fund not presently available, the demand under sub‑paragraph (1) may be made on the parent, guardian, trustee or other person liable.

Revocation and transitional provision

6.—(1) The Legal Profession (Solicitors’ Remuneration) Order (O 1) is revoked.

(2) Notwithstanding the revocation of the Legal Profession (Solicitors’ Remuneration) Order, that Order shall continue to apply to any business for which instructions have been accepted before 1st February 2003 as if this Order had not been made.

Made this 21st day of January 2003.

YONG PUNG HOW

Chief Justice.

CHAN SEK KEONG

Attorney-General.

ARFAT SELVAM

President of the Law Society of
Singapore.

FOO YEW HENG

Advocate and Solicitor.

GAN HIANG CHYE

Advocate and Solicitor.

[AG/LEG/SL/161/2002/1 Vol. 1]

(To be presented to Parliament under section 131 of the Legal Profession Act).

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